The spud war between Canada and the United States threatens to boil over with both sides failing to come to a solution over an import ban on Canadian potatoes (to read previous story, click here).
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Farmers on Canada’s Prince Edward Island will see their potato crop rot within weeks if the United States does not lift its ban on imports.
The United States has imposed an import ban on all island potatoes following the discovery in October that part of one field was infected with potato wart fungus. The fungus is not harmful to humans but causes warts to grow on potatoes, making them unmarketable. The United States says the ban is aimed at preventing the spread of the fungus to the US.
Canada’s agriculture minister, Lyle Vanclief , has raised the matter under the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but has been unable to negotiate a settlement with the US government as yet. NAFTA action may come too late for the 2000 harvest that is usually exported to the United States.
Farmers in Canada are calling on the government to retaliate by imposing bans on U.S. agricultural products. Canadian officials have accused the United States of exploiting a minor outbreak of the fungus as a ploy to benefit American potato growers.
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